The Things They Carried

In the past sixty pages of the book a lot has happened to the men and there have been many events that hold symbolism. The first major event that happened was when Martha flew in on a helicopter. At first she doesn’t do much in the war but then at night goes on raids with other soldiers. Before long she starts to run away for weeks at a time and when she came back one time she has a necklace with human tongues around her neck with people that she had killed. Then one night she left and never returned. Then they stumble upon a small church. This church doesn’t seem like a big deal but holds some big symbolism within it. It symbolizes righteousness and forgiveness for the soldiers that have fought in the war. Another big piece of symbolism is when Norman Bowker drives around the lake over and over but doesn’t ever talk to anyone. “Out on the lake a man’s motorboat had stalled; the man was bent over the engine with a wrench and a frown” (140). This reminds him of his old life that the war has stripped him of and that he will never be able to obtain again.

O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. Boston: Broadway Books,1990.

By Taylor Perdue